Facts

UNCW Tennis

What: NCAA team tournament, first roundWomen:UNCW women (17-3) at No. 13 Clemson (20-6), Friday 1 p.m.Men: UNCW (15-6) vs. Penn State (21-5) at Virginia, Saturday 9 a.m.What else: Live scoring for both matches will be available at NCAA.com.

When workouts got tough, the Seahawks would steer talk toward the Colonial Athletic Association championship. The early mornings and extra running would pay off in the postseason, they assured each other. The second-year coach didn't try to stop them.

Senior Angie Sekely brought relief from that mounting pressure with her straight-set win over College of Charleston's Kelly Kambourelis on April 20 at William & Mary. UNCW's No. 1 singles player cried "Let's go!" and her teammates rushed the court after the final point that clinched the team's first CAA title.

The Seahawks head to Clemson on Friday for their inaugural NCAA tournament appearance hoping to hang with the No. 13 Tigers but also satisfied with the history they've already made.

"Especially for us seniors, it was a huge thing," said Sekely, UNCW's first CAA Player of the Year. "We wanted to have a (CAA championship) ring to remember our four years."

UNCW has gradually increased its expectations. Clark took over a squad with obvious potential in August 2012, but the Seahawks had never played for a CAA title.

That changed last year when the team was swept by William & Mary in the conference final. UNCW only graduated one player from that lineup, which helped spark the championship-or-bust mentality.

Clark crafted a more balanced schedule that allowed him to taper workouts late in the spring. The team hit this postseason healthy and refreshed with an edge the coach hadn't seen before.

"I think (in 2013) there was a sense of 'We're here, that's great,'" Clark said. "This year, it was 'OK, we're here. We need to win this thing.'"

Top-seeded UNCW cruised back to the CAA final, where it was pushed to the brink by Charleston.

The Seahawks dropped the doubles point before Olga Blank (No. 2), Alyssa Ritchie (No. 4) and Kelly Cameron (No. 6) won their singles matches, leaving it up to Sekely.

Sekely trailed in both sets but managed to outlast Kambourelis, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, for the point UNCW needed to take a 4-3 victory. The Canadian won the final five games to clinch the victory, improving her singles record to 18-1. She's also 13-4 at No. 2 doubles with Ritchie.

Afterward, the players doused Clark with the water cooler and headed to Outback Steakhouse for a celebration dinner.

"It was the craziest thing," said junior Miller Hales, a New Hanover High School grad who is 16-1 at No. 3 doubles. "I had so much peace going into the tournament. I had confidence. I knew we were going to do it this year."

Last week, the players gathered in the Golden Hawk Room with the men's team to learn their NCAA fate via an online selection show.

The Seahawks murmured with relief when the bracket showed they would avoid top-seeded Georgia. There were a few groans of disappointment when they weren't included in the regionals at UCLA and Miami, trips that would've meant a flight rather than a lengthy bus ride.

Finally, UNCW's matchup with Clemson popped onto the screen, and the players hopped out of their seats to cheer. It wasn't a surprise pairing. Clark had the ACC school on his short list of possible destinations, but the reveal provided another moment to savor in a season that has included so many.

"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect," Sekely said, minutes later. "We've never had this experience before. We're just really excited to be here."

<p>Coach Evan Clark, of course, urged the <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic71"><b>UNCW</b></a> women's tennis team to take the season one day at a time, but stretching back to August, the ultimate prize was rarely far from mind.</p><p>When workouts got tough, the Seahawks would steer talk toward the Colonial Athletic Association championship. The early mornings and extra running would pay off in the postseason, they assured each other. The second-year coach didn't try to stop them.</p><p>Senior Angie Sekely brought relief from that mounting pressure with her straight-set win over College of Charleston's Kelly Kambourelis on April 20 at William & Mary. UNCW's No. 1 singles player cried "Let's go!" and her teammates rushed the court after the final point that clinched the team's first CAA title.</p><p>The Seahawks head to Clemson on Friday for their inaugural NCAA tournament appearance hoping to hang with the No. 13 Tigers but also satisfied with the history they've already made.</p><p>"Especially for us seniors, it was a huge thing," said Sekely, UNCW's first CAA Player of the Year. "We wanted to have a (CAA championship) ring to remember our four years."</p><p>UNCW has gradually increased its expectations. Clark took over a squad with obvious potential in August 2012, but the Seahawks had never played for a CAA title.</p><p>That changed last year when the team was swept by William & Mary in the conference final. UNCW only graduated one player from that lineup, which helped spark the championship-or-bust mentality.</p><p>Clark crafted a more balanced schedule that allowed him to taper workouts late in the spring. The team hit this postseason healthy and refreshed with an edge the coach hadn't seen before.</p><p>"I think (in 2013) there was a sense of 'We're here, that's great,'" Clark said. "This year, it was 'OK, we're here. We need to win this thing.'"</p><p>Top-seeded UNCW cruised back to the CAA final, where it was pushed to the brink by Charleston. </p><p>The Seahawks dropped the doubles point before Olga Blank (No. 2), Alyssa Ritchie (No. 4) and Kelly Cameron (No. 6) won their singles matches, leaving it up to Sekely. </p><p>Sekely trailed in both sets but managed to outlast Kambourelis, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, for the point UNCW needed to take a 4-3 victory. The Canadian won the final five games to clinch the victory, improving her singles record to 18-1. She's also 13-4 at No. 2 doubles with Ritchie.</p><p>Afterward, the players doused Clark with the water cooler and headed to Outback Steakhouse for a celebration dinner.</p><p>"It was the craziest thing," said junior Miller Hales, a New Hanover High School grad who is 16-1 at No. 3 doubles. "I had so much peace going into the tournament. I had confidence. I knew we were going to do it this year."</p><p>Last week, the players gathered in the Golden Hawk Room with the men's team to learn their NCAA fate via an online selection show. </p><p>The Seahawks murmured with relief when the bracket showed they would avoid top-seeded Georgia. There were a few groans of disappointment when they weren't included in the regionals at UCLA and Miami, trips that would've meant a flight rather than a lengthy bus ride.</p><p>Finally, UNCW's matchup with Clemson popped onto the screen, and the players hopped out of their seats to cheer. It wasn't a surprise pairing. Clark had the ACC school on his short list of possible destinations, but the reveal provided another moment to savor in a season that has included so many.</p><p>"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect," Sekely said, minutes later. "We've never had this experience before. We're just really excited to be here."</p><p>Eric Detweiler: 343-2261</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @edetweiler</p>